I'll Never Die Protecting
by Firesword
Summary: Slash. HPSS. PostVoldemort. Fluffy oneshot. What did Severus mean when he said those words?


Strangely, the bunny emerged when I was bathing this morning...

**Fandom: **Harry Potter

**Fic Title: **I'll Never Die Protecting

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter and its characters belong to JK Rowling - they are certainly not mine. The small, fluffy evil bunny is, however.

**Summary: **Slash. HP/SS. Post-Voldemort. Fluffy, one-shot. What did Severus mean when he said those words?

**Rating: **M (mature) / Red Flame

**Warnings: **Well, it's love between Harry Potter and Severus Snape. Don't like it, don't read. If you expect a lot of angst, and a healthy dose of reality, please skip this. This one-shot is full of fluff and really no plot at all. I'm in the mood for fluff ... so fluffiness abounds:D How long has it been since I've come up with a fluffy one-shot? bounces happily Oh, there's a bit of Charlie Weasley and Draco Malfoy...

**I'LL NEVER DIE PROTECTING**

**by Firesword**

Voldemort's final curse hit him, just as his own crashed against the Dark Lord. As it had several years ago, tendrils of magic from the two wizards were entwined and connected to each other's wands. Whose power had overwhelmed the other first, Harry was not aware. For an instant, however, he thought he had died.

All he felt was peace. Although he knew his eyes could not possibly be opened, he saw things. They were like memories floating past him and like them he was floating. He drifted closer and closer to a figure that he vaguely recognized. When he finally came close enough, he stared at the one who had died protecting him.

Cedric Diggory looked at him with wistful eyes, and alarm suddenly gripped his heart.

Something important ... but he could not remember what it was.

_"Come back!"_

"Ah!" he gasped and sat up quickly.

"Harry, don't move."

It was Hermione. Harry looked up at her blankly.

"It's all right now. You must rest." Her determined expression made him lie down on the hard ground again.

"Where's ... where's Ron?"

"He's fine. He's gone along with Ginny and Remus to help the hospital staff," she said with a gentle smile. "You've done it, Harry."

"Huh?" He had been thinking about what he had seen during his unconscious state.

"You defeated Voldemort."

The name triggered several memories and the Potions master's face flashed in his mind.

"Severus!" he exclaimed, his face displaying signs of alarm again. He struggled to get up, pushing away Hermione's restraining hands. "Hermione, let go of me!"

"Harry, you're tired! You mustn't get up!" Hermione said pleadingly. "They're doing what they can to help him." A strange look flickered on her face and Harry noticed the change immediately.

"What ... happened to him?" he asked slowly. His friend stared hard at him for several seconds before averting her eyes.

Angrily, he pulled himself away from her and got to his feet unsteadily. He ignored all the other things that happened around him - the stares, the whispers, the urgent shouts that he should rest and not move. His mind was only focused on a single person. He had to find Severus.

It felt as though he had been walking for an eternity when he saw Draco, face pale and silver-blonde hair streaked brown with dirt. The young wizard was kneeling before a circle of people. He looked exhausted, but his eyes appeared wild and helpless.

"Malfoy..." Harry stopped, glanced down at Draco for a moment, before turning his eyes to where several medi-witches were working.

"When I say 'pull'," an old, ancient voice spoke, "you will pull without any hesitation, is that clear?"

"But madam..."

"No 'buts'!"

With heart in his mouth, Harry shifted to a position where he could see what was really happening. Three pairs of hands were all holding on to a piece of tree limb, which was embedded in….

"Pull!"

He let out a cry of grief when he saw the weakened form.

"Janice, stop the bleeding!"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"Get the stretcher!"

Someone pushed him away to move past him and he stared at the fleeing form abstractedly. Then he turned back to look at the medi-witches who were concentrating on the injured man.

Dark eyelashes fluttered and Severus opened his eyes weakly.

Harry's throat constricted as the pair of black eyes stared piercingly into him.

"I'll never die protecting you," the wizard whispered.

He clenched his fingers into a fist unconsciously and stared back at Severus, his heart aching painfully.

"Please, sir, do not speak," the head of the group of the medi-witches said sternly to Severus.

Obsidian eyes rolled back and the Potions master fell unconscious.

**-oOooOooOo-**

He did not know why he had stubbornly followed them to the makeshift hospital. Draco had tried to hex him, but Charlie Weasley and his twin brothers were suddenly there with their wands pointing dangerously at the blonde-haired wizard.

"If he wants to come along, he will," Charlie said dangerously.

"He has no ties with Severus, Weasley!" Draco snarled.

"That is what _you_ think, ferret," Fred, or perhaps, George, snorted.

He waited anxiously in the small, waiting room. When two hours had passed without the nurses coming with news of Severus' conditions, Charlie had instructed Harry to rest.

"Draco, come with me," Charlie said abruptly.

The coffee was not helping him. Harry sighed and looked at the dragon keeper in puzzlement. Fred and George, too, appeared surprised that their brother had addressed the other wizard casually.

"Although the twins have come along to ensure Harry's safety, I cannot guarantee that _you _will be safe in their presence," Charlie said solemnly.

Draco, who was seated on a large, overstuffed armchair, snorted derisively and gave Charlie a superior look. "And what guarantees my safety when I'm with you?"

"Draco, stop this," Charlie said tiredly.

"What in the-"

"-blazes is going on?" the twins murmured.

The silver-haired wizard looked away sullenly.

"Fine," Charlie muttered. Grayish-blue eyes darted quickly at Harry and the Weasley twins. "Anyone tries anything funny on him, I'll hex your balls off."

"You're not making any sense, Charlie!" Fred shouted as their brother walked away.

Harry tossed his empty cup into the dustbin and curled up in his chair. He was too tired to make sense of Charlie's odd words, and Draco's childishness. He fell asleep and unconsciously tightened his fingers on the long robe, which Draco had covered him with.

His subconscious heard the twins' calling out to someone and asking that someone where he was going.

"I'm going to have a shag with your brother," Harry heard the spiteful reply.

_Draco and Charlie ... Impossible ... just a dream..._

Someone shook him roughly some hours later. He uncurled from his sleeping position and stared at the cup in front of his face bewilderedly.

"Drink up, Four-eyes."

"Stop calling me that, Malfoy," he croaked in response.

"Only when I'm dead, Potty," the Slytherin snorted. "Now, drink up. I won't have you seeing Severus with stale breath."

_Severus!_ Quick as lightning, he grabbed the cup, and swallowed the drink. He started coughing violently. He had not expected the flavor too be so strong.

"Stop dallying, idiot! He's been given a Sleeping Draft. He'll be asleep if you don't go now! He wants to see you before he does!" Draco smacked him soundly on the head.

Wheezing, Harry got to his feet and went in the direction that Draco had pointed. He took a deep breath, and stopped a hurrying medi-witch.

"Excuse me, but where can I find Severus Snape?"

"Mister Snape?" the nurse frowned. "There," she pointed at a door, second from the end of the corridor.

"Thank you," he thanked the medi-witch. He was thankful that he was sounding normal once more. Politely, he knocked on the door before turning the knob.

He poked his head through the small gap nervously, and met narrowed, black eyes. He gulped and stepped into the ward uncertainly.

Still appearing intimidating and fierce, Severus pointed a finger at something. Harry turned to look but he could not see anything, but a blank white wall.

"What is it?" he asked, a little confused. "What?" Emerald eyes widened in astonishment when he felt the unmistakable grip of magic around his wrist. "Ahhhhh!" It tugged him forward by surprise. His quick reflexes managed to stop him from landing too hard on Severus. "Are you mad!" That came out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

"Perhaps," Severus answered calmly, and Harry glared at the wizard.

"Wh-Hey!"

Lips touched his gently, and he gasped, before starting to tremble. Fingers, hesitant and uncertain, brushed his cheek. Severus pulled back, and Harry stared at him, at his lips, at his eyes, with complete breathlessness.

"I..." He swallowed a cry, and groaned instead, as Severus kissed him deeply and aggressively. A rush of restrained emotions came to the fore and Harry thrust his fingers into Severus' long hair, holding him close as he returned the ardent kiss. They pulled away to take breaths, but their mouths found each other again, and Harry lost himself to Severus, little by little.

"Why did you say ... why had you...?" Harry murmured inquiringly and kissed his cheek softly.

"We will be happier if I can stay, is that not correct?" Severus murmured. The gentle breaths against Harry's neck were making the hair at his nape rise with excitement. "If I had died, who would protect you?"

"Severus..." Harry pressed his face against the wizard's neck.

"Don't I deserve this role?"

Harry held the older wizard carefully, and relished the gentle warmth of the arms wrapped around him.

"I love you, Severus."

"I love you too, Harry," Severus whispered huskily. "I want to be with you...every breath..."

"I'll stay with you. Forever." Harry smiled and kissed Severus' brow lovingly.

_Every breath._

_Every second._

_Every heartbeat._

**-oOooOooOo-**

Fred and George stared at the couple, who had squeezed themselves into a tight corner, to exchange a kiss.

"So ... that was what it's all about," Fred mumbled.

"Never in a million Galleons, did I think they are actually a couple," George said, shaking his head. "How in hell did that ever happened?"

"I don't know." Fred snorted. "Hah. I suppose we shouldn't be too surprised, considering that Harry has decided on that greasy git."

"Yeah." George sighed morosely. "Damn it. It's not fair. Why don't we have lovers?" He pouted and glared at his older brother and the blonde wizard.

"You have me," Fred said innocently.

**-oOooOooOo-**

**THE END**

**-oOooOooOo-**


End file.
